This invention relates to acids and derivatives thereof having useful pharmaceutical properties. In particular, this invention relates to 1-substituted cyclic lactam-2-carboxylic acids and derivatives thereof which are useful as antihypertensive agents.
Many current antihypertensive agents produce unwanted side effects because of undesirable mechanisms of action. For example, phenoxybenzamine is an .alpha.-adrenergic receptor blocker, and reserpine is a catecholamine depletor. Each of these mechanisms of action is undesirable because serious side-effects are produced. There is a constant need for antihypertensive agents which do not produce these side effects, which have fewer side effects or which minimize such adverse side effects.